Have You Ever Noticed . . .?

I tend to notice patterns. Maybe this comes from watching old podcasts. They certainly provide historical context. Once in a while, I even think that I’ve gotten a glimpse of what lies behind a pattern. Some of my latest ruminations.

Have you noticed that the taller candidate usually wins presidential elections? Turns out that is actually a thing. George R. Murray, Ph.D., writes in Psychology Today that this phenomenon occurs 67% of the time. We prefer our leaders to be tall because of something called evolutionary psychology.

In other words, “when our ancestors had a big, strong friend who would help them acquire and protect resources (e.g., food, shelter, and territory), they had a relative advantage in terms of living longer and producing more children.” Anthropologists who measure skeletons find the same in ancient civilizations, and zoologists find the same in chimpanzees, African elephants, and red deer.

Have you noticed that certain “victims” identify with their “masters,” rather than with the other members of their group, especially if they’ve managed to rise even a little a bit in the world relative to those other members?

Editor and writer Rebecca Traister addressed this issue on a recent Bill Maher Real Time and suddenly it all makes sense.

According to Traister, the white man offers the mirage of power to women via white supremacy, and he offers the mirage of power to black men via patriarchy. This is how the powerful manipulate the disenfranchised into supporting the status quo. Of course, Traister's hypothesis leaves out women of color, but who’s surprised.

I suggest that the somewhat empowered buy it because it’s a blessing to be a part of that power structure. For the disenfranchised, it’s comforting to think that one day they might be a part of it. As Murray said, it feels good to have a “big strong friend.”

Conversely, Traister's theory explains why the somewhat empowered tend to look down on the rest of their group; it helps to further enhance their identification with the powers that be.

The situation produces political consequences. As Traister stated, “Since 1952, when they started measuring, there were only two elections when [the majority of] white women didn’t vote Republican.”

Clearly, for Traister, Republican is synonymous with the white patriarchy, and I get that. So, it’s incredibly significant that “there is evidence that evangelical women in Texas are breaking from their husbands to vote for Beto.” (Well, he is taller.)

Second debate, Sept. 21, 2018, Dallas

If Beto wins, it could be indicative of a new feminist wave.

Have you noticed that when it comes to truly shattering barriers, black men are always allowed into the club before white women?

Supreme Court Justice. President. The vote!!!

What the heck does that mean? It reminds me of a certain John Lennon song. Power has outright hatred for the black man to the point of lynching. On the other hand, power is sleeping with us!

To paraphrase Brittany Packnett (HBO guest host) addressing white women: your whiteness will not save you from what patriarchy has in store for you, as Ms. Ford discovered when she stood up as a patriot to save the rest of us.